By Kimberly Morrrison
THE MORNING NEWS

March 29, 2008

PLEASANT CROSSING PLANS UNVEILED

Developer Charles Reaves is still a few weeks away from presenting large-scale plans to the Rogers Planning Commission for his 47-acre site just near the Wal-Mart store at Pleasant Crossing. But he is talking about the development.

Reaves and partner Cameron Smith have met with key representatives from top Wal-Mart vendors to find out what they would want in the office park of their dreams. And that's what Reaves and Smith intend to give them.

So what do they want? Well, for starters, everything.

That means the 35-acre "core" of the 47-acre development will include hotels, essential business services, childcare, a first-class fitness center, spa, medical offices, an indoor water park, restaurants, retail space and entertainment.

In the 500,000-square-feet of office space planned for the development, vendors want practical features like showrooms in the offices, a speedy passenger elevator separate from a larger cargo elevator, and built-in flexibility. That way, companies that shrink or grow with time can move between offices without being bound to strict leases.

Those lucky vendors will overlook a pond that will be expanded into a 9-acre lake with a 3,000-foot boardwalk.

"It's going to be nice - not opulent. We're not going overboard," said Reaves.

Reaves declined to disclose the price tag, saying the final cost will depend on architectural features and designs that are not yet complete. He expects construction to take 3 to 4 years before the development is finished.